Scott Walker's Austerity Agenda Yields 'Worst Job Losses in US'

We've heard about Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's war on workers.

We've heard about Scott Walker's war on women.

But what about Scott Walker's war on Illinois.

The governor—who has made himself the face of an American austerity push that uses the fantasy of “shared sacrfice” to redistribute wealth upward—went to Springfield, Illinois, two weeks ago to tell the state's business leaders that their state should do it his way. Walker's argument was that Illinois was getting everything wrong and that Wisconsin was getting everything right when it came to encouraging job creation.

As he has for the past year in Florida, Arizona, Texas, California and other states, Walker was trying to export his approach to governing (and to pick up lots of campaign money): attacks on public employees, deep cuts in education and training, the undermining of public services and the rejection of federal support for transportation and broadband Internet development.

That, Walker said, is the way to create jobs.

Then reality set in.

The Bloomberg business new service, not exactly a liberal institution, ran a story headlined: “Republican Whipping-Boy Illinois Beats Wisconsin on Jobs.”

1. my heart says we will prevail , but

2. We must prevail. We must win the Senate and the Mansion

I worry about the voting machines, even Kathy Nicklaus out. There will be shenanigans. Get out and register people to vote! Even if the law has been shelved for now, getting people registered encourages their participation in the process!!

8. My sentiments also.

When collecting signatures for the recall, a surprising number of people told me that although they did not approve of Walkers policies they felt he should be allowed to serve his full term no matter what he does. This attitude makes me nervous.